


..... so it goes

by Alpenglow3241



Series: How many mythical beings au can Shreya write [3]
Category: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author has some regrets, Character Death, Indian mythology - Freeform, Inspired by an Indian Myth, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology - Freeform, Naga, Reincarnation, Temporary Character Death, add maybe there, im sorry for all the tears, kinda more like a circle of events
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:13:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alpenglow3241/pseuds/Alpenglow3241
Summary: The wheel of time continues to spin as the cycle of event continue to take place on and on and on
Relationships: Kartik Singh/Aman Tripathi
Series: How many mythical beings au can Shreya write [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787347
Comments: 12
Kudos: 15





	..... so it goes

**Author's Note:**

> Basically I started writing this, had an existential crisis and 2-3 breakdowns midway through. Bon Appétit !!

It was a strange pair they made, a  _ Naga _ and a human. They first met when Aman found an eagle attacking a serpent in his backyard. He chased off the eagle before grabbing up the bleeding snake and bringing him into his house. After nursing them for a few days, he released the creature back into the wild. A few days later, he found a silver bauble on his doorstep with a note thanking him. This went on for some days, precious trinkets and jewels lying upon his welcome mat, before an intrigued Aman left a note back, asking for the note writer’s identity, wishing to meet them in person. The answer arrived in the form of a man, tall, dark and handsome. His arms were a filled canvas, the genderfluid deity sprawled across one forearm, while snakes crawled all over the other. Gold glinted upon his nose, bringing attention to the smile that spread across his lips. A fruity voice spoke a name,  _ Kartik. _

Aman invited him in after a few moments of hesitation, flustered by his sudden appearance. Kartik continued his introduction inside the house, revealing himself as the serpent that Aman had nursed to health. At first, Aman scoffed at it, disbelief etched on his face. But that all soon changed when Kartik shapeshifted back and forth from a man to a snake. Curiosity grabbed Aman and the rest of the evening was spent talking and learning more about each other. Soon enough, Kartik had to leave, but not before promising to visit again. 

They met many more times and slowly became close friends over months. Kartik continued to bring gifts, mostly books after learning about Aman's thirst for knowledge, though he slipped in a bauble or two sometimes. They learned more about each other, what the other likes, their habits - of how Kartik loved to bask in a half human, half snake form, of how fond Aman was of rainy evenings. Kartik even brought Aman down to the  _ Naga-Loka _ , gaining permission from their ruler. They spent a day ( _ a week, an hour, a year _ ) in the netherworld, Aman following Kartik as they toured the entire place.

Over time, they got even closer, their lives tightly entwined together. Kartik split his time (mostly) even between his duties and spending time with his lover. Their love grew deeper day by day, and eventually, Aman asked Kartik to become his husband and spend their lives  _ together _ . On a bright spring day, they got married according to the customs of the _ Nagas _ . Their wedding was presided over by Vasuki, the lord of all snakes, as was custom. They lived together happily as years continued to pass by.

\---------------------------------------

Rarely do the stories of love between a mortal and an immortal end happy. No one can stop the inevitable march of time, as it drags all those beholden to it to their ends.. All the years that passed had left their marks on Aman. His hair was liberally sprinkled with grey, wrinkles a plenty on his skin. Soon enough, the  _ Yamadutas _ shall arrive to escort his soul to the afterlife. They both knew this day would arrive, sooner or later, and yet, Kartik could not stop his heart from grieving. His heart broke, just as it did when the wrinkles first started to plague Aman's skin, when his eyes clouded over and darkness crept onto his vision.

A wrinkly hand reached up to cup his face, derailing Kartik's thoughts. He held the hand against his face, turning a little to press a soft kiss. Tears streamed down his face, sorrow flowing like twin rivers. Both of Aman's hands grasped him and tugged him down lightly. Chapped lips pressed a kiss to the  _ Naga _ 's forehead, a forlorn smile spreading across Aman's face. Soon, his breaths started to slow, before they stopped, hands going slack. Heaving sobs burst through Kartik's throat, grief in every note.

After his sobs had all dried up, Kartik carried out the funeral rites and then slinked away from the house, crawling back into a burrow nearby. Down and down he went till he reached the land of his people. The first few weeks _ \- hours, days, perhaps years, time passes differently down below _ \- he spent mourning Aman's death. After a couple of years ( _ weeks, days, hours _ ) of mourning, he picked himself up and tried to go on with the rest of his life. 

As time passed by Kartik, the pain of his loss was eroded smooth as a river pebble. He got on with his life, very rarely venturing out to the upper world. Eons passed by. Slowly memories started to fade, leaving behind faint impressions of love and warmth. The world ended in fire and flood, a new world grew from the ruins of the old. A new  _ Mahayuga _ started. The wheel of time continued to turn towards infinity. 

\---------------------------------------

  
  


It had been many days since Kartik had last been to _ Bhumi-Loka _ . The king’s orders were a perfect opportunity for him to visit the surface world. Packing a week’s supplies for his mission, he set off. Slithering upwards, he finally crawled out into a grassy area. He flicked out his tongue and smelled a man’s presence blanketing each and every strand of grass. A strong wave of déjà vu hit him, faint memories of love and warmth crowding his mind. Kartik shook his head gently, trying to clear his mind. He couldn't afford to get distracted when he was in such an open area. Flicking out his tongue, he started to look around for a safe area. 

Suddenly a high pitched shriek shattered the air. An eagle dived down by Kartik’s side, sharp talons almost piercing his side. Urgency covering his movements, he started crawling towards the nearest burrow he could find to escape being speared by talons. Another shriek sounded through the air, before the eagle dived once more towards its target. Its aim held true, talons piercing through scales, spilling blood on the ground. Kartik writhed in pain, fangs flashing to inject his attacker with venom. He flailed about in the eagle’s grasp, trying to escape from it. Just as thoughts of yielding ran through his mind, he heard a loud shout. The talons surrounding him loosened and he fell down on the ground. As he was coming to terms with his continued survival, somebody grabbed him up from the ground. Warmth surrounded his body as he was brought close to its source. In his weakened state, he could do nothing but smell his surroundings. The same heavenly scent from the grass surrounded him, enveloping him into safety. The faint memories of love returned a hundred fold. As he gave in to his injuries, a single name -  _ Aman _ \- came to his mind, before everything turned black.

_ and so it goes, on and on and on……  _

Inspired by this [story](https://devdutt.com/articles/search-for-rams-ring/) from the Ramayana about Rama's death.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, yall have an open invitation to stab me, that's fair enough after what yall read. I mean I want to stab a clone of mine after writing this so like you know.
> 
> Anyways, yall know the drill. Leave kudos and/or comments about the fic  
> Thank you for reading this !!!!


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